Luke’s peace was short-lived. A letter was waiting for him at the post office from his father. Father had paid a high price to see it delivered, and the postmaster spoke of how a man had been hired in St. Paul to see it through personally.

Several days had passed, but the words of the letter still bothered Luke a great deal. His father wanted Luke to bring Sally to Philadelphia, just as Luke had feared. Father had declared himself the logical choice to raise his son’s child and demanded that upon the first possible chance to bring her out of that “godforsaken frozen wilderness,” Luke would comply.

Now he would have to write to his father and break the news that, thanks to the judge’s fast work, he had already adopted Sally and that she would remain in Duluth with him and with Gloriana. His father would be livid—possibly to the point of fighting Luke for possession of the child.

He glanced over to see the baby asleep in Gloriana’s arms as Pastor Sedgwick spoke of Moses leading the Hebrew children through the desert. JT squirmed uncomfortably in one of the outfits Luke had bought him for Christmas. The boy hated dressing up, and Luke couldn’t say he blamed him.

They were, for all intents and purposes, a family. Luke had fallen into the role of protector-provider without even needing to be asked. Gloriana was a natural nurturer and mother figure. They suited each other, worked well together, and respected each other. Why shouldn’t it follow that they remain a family? Luke had given that strong thought—especially with his father’s threat to Sally. It wasn’t that his father was evil or would necessarily do the child harm, but Luke knew Father wouldn’t raise Sally in a way that pleased Scott, and so it brought out the fight in him to keep the child away from such influences.

Scott would never want his daughter judging people by their appearance and social standing. Scott would never want Sally to decide on a husband or friends based on what they could do for the family, but Father would. Luke knew from the pressures Father had put on him to marry women who could advance the family fortunes or had social connections. Love played no role in marriage as far as Father was concerned. That would follow, and if it didn’t, then at least there would be enough money to keep everyone happy with something else.

“In conclusion,” Pastor Sedgwick said, “we often cannot see the place where God is taking us, but obedience on the journey will save us much sorrow. Trusting God for the outcome—for His faithfulness—is not easy, by any means. Especially when you are stuck in the middle of the desert and nothing seems possible.”